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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l. H. A. MOYER 8v G. J. GRAF. THILL COUPLING. N0. 591,561. Patented Oct. 12,1897.

NESSES ATTORNEY (No Modl.) I 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

.- H. A. MOYBR 8v 0. J. GRAF.

THILL COUPLING.

No. 591,561; Patented Oct. 12,1897.

in EN' oRs wn'NEZsEs I I I v i ATTORNEY (No Model.) '3 Sheets-Sheet 3. HE A. MOYER 81;, G. J. GRAF:

THILL COUPLING.

No. 591,561. Patented Oct. 12,1897.

INVENTORS fi m/1 7d M/ @D 4%MZ5 4 wZwM- 225;, ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT GFrioE.

HARVEY A. MOYER AND CHARLES J. GRAF, OF SYRACUSE, NE W YORK; SAID GRAF ASSIGNOR TO SAID MOYERI THILL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No; 591,561, dated October 12, 1897.

' Application filed August 12, 1897. Serial No. 647,965. (No model.)

' operation of connecting and disconnecting Y the thills to and from the vehicle; and it has special reference to the species of couplings which is provided with a fixed jaw or shackleeye section and a movable jaw or eye-section receiving between them the coupling pin or bolt and means for locking and unlocking the movable jaw in its closed position.

The object of our invention is to provide a thill-coupling which shall be simple in construction and eflicient and reliable in operation and to that end the invention consists, essentially, of a thill-coupling comprising two jaws or eye-sections grasping between them the coupling pin or bolt and separable to release the same and a spring connected to one of the parts to be coupled'and reversible thereon and thereby confining and releasing the coupling-pin in and from the grasp of the jaws, as hereinafter more fully described, and set forth in the claims.

In the annexed drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are side views of a thill-coupling embodying our invention and showing the same in its coupled and uncoupled condition. Fig. 3 is a plan view of said coupling in the condition shown in Fig. 1. Fig. at is a longitudinal section on line 00 a; in Fig. 1, and Figs. 5, 6,, and 7 illustrate modifications of our invention.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondingparts.

A denotes the axle, and a is the draft-bar, which is fastened to the axle by a clip I) in the usual manner and is formed with a forward extension terminatingwith ahook-shaped jaw or shackle-eye section c,formed integral therewith.

0 represents the movable jaw, which we preferably hinge to the draft-bar a back of the hook c, as shown at 0 t represents the coupling-pin, which we preferably form integral with the thill-iron t and tapering from opposite ends to the center, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

The adjacent faces of the jaws c c, which embrace said pin, are shaped correspondingly to wedge the pin endwise in the jaws.

To facilitate the operation of connecting anddisconnecting the thills to and from the vehicle by simple, inexpensive, and efficient means, we employ a spring C, which is C- shaped or curved, so as to have its ends pointing approximately in the same direction, and is pivotally connected at one end to one of the parts to be coupled, which part is provided With the fixed jaw c, and may be either the draft-bar (It, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings, or the thill-iron t, as represented in Fig. 6 of the drawings. Said connection of the spring is made by folding the end thereof around the cross-bar of a rectangular eye 6, fastened either to the draft-bar-a or to the thill-iron t and disposed parallel with the axle, so as to allow the spring to swing in a plane at right angles to the axle.

Instead of attaching the eye e directly to the draft-bar a, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, said eye may be attached to an extra bare, secured to the under side of the draft-bar, by means of the clip I) and its nuts b b, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

To the free end of the spring 0 is connected a link Z, which is either connected to the movable jaw c or made to extend across the top of an extension of said jaw, which latter is illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings. We prefer, however, to connect the link Z to the jaw c, as represented in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, for the purpose of causing said jaw to be thrown out of its closed position automatically with the swinging of the spring 0 on its pivot.

The pivoted end of the spring is made to extend beyond the free end thereof for the purpose of causing it to become locked'in its position when holding the jaw c in its closed position, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and to throw said jaw out of its locked position when the spring is swung into a reversed position, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The operation of our improved thill-couplingin connecting and disconnecting the thills to and from the vehicle is as follows, to wit: To connect the thill, the spring 0 is swung 011 its pivot to a position which causes the spring to push the jaw c away from the stationary jaw c, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, or to release the jaw c from the pressure of the link Z, as represented by dotted lines in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings, in which latter case the link 1 has to be thrown off from the jaw c and said jaw to be lifted by hand to permit the coupling-pin t to be introduced into the fixed eye-section 0. After this has been effected thelinkl in Figs. 6 and 7 is to be placed upon the jaw c and the spring 0 to be swung on its pivot into a reversed position, and in doing this the free and shorter end of the spring passes over the eye e and thereby compresses the spring and causes the same to force the jaw 0 into its closed position to firmly grip the coupling-pin 25, and as the free end of the spring passes beyond the eye e the spring becomes locked in the aforesaid compressed position and securely retains the jaw c in its said closed position. By connecting the link Z to the jaw c, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the said jaw is caused to move automatically to and from its closed position by the swinging of the spring, and neither the jaw nor the link require manipulation.

It will be observed that in our improved thill-eoupling the spring 0 is permitted to exert its elasticity throughout its entire length, and thereby the liability of breaking the spring by undue strain is in a great measure obviated, and by making said spring serve the purpose of the extra locking-lever employed in other thill-couplings we simplify the construction and reduce the cost of th manufacture of the thill-coupling.

It will also be observed that the loop formed by the C shape of the spring serves as a convenient handle by which to manipulate said spring.

Vhat we claim as our invention is- 1. A thill-coupling comprising two jaws or eye-sections grasping between them the coupling pin or bolt and separable to release the same, and a spring connected to one of the parts to be coupled and reversible thereon and thereby confining and releasingthe coupling-pin in and from the grasp of the jaws.

2. A thill-coupling comprising a fixed jaw and a movable jaw receiving between them the coupling pin or belt, a spring pivoted at one end to one of the parts to be coupled, and a link actuated by said spring and pressing the movable jaw onto the coupling pin or bolt by the movement of the spring in one direction on its pivot.

3. A thill-coupling comprising a fixed aw and a movable jaw receiving the coupling-pm between them, a spring pivoted at one end to swing in a plane at right angles to the axle, and a link actuated by the free end of said spring and forcing the movable jaw lHtO ItS closed position by the swinging of the sprmg in one direction.

at. The combination with a fixed jaw and a hinged jaw receiving the coupling-pin between them, a spring pivoted at one end to the member carrying thefixed jaw, and a link connected to the free end of said spring and forcing the hinged jaw into its closed pos tion by the swinging of the spring in one direction.

5. The combination with a fixed jaw and a hinged jaw receiving the coupling-pin between them, a spring pivoted at one end to the member carrying the fixed jaw, and a link connected at its opposite ends, respectively, to the free end of the spring and to the hinged jaw to move the same to and from its closed position automatically with the swinging of the spring on its pivot.

6. The combination with a fixed jaw and a movable jaw receiving the coupling-pin between them, of a C-spring having one end extending beyond the other end and pivoted at the longer end to the member carrying the fixed jaw, and a link connecting the shorter end of said spring to the movable jaw.

7. The combination of the draft-bar provided with a fixed hook-shaped jaw for receiving the coupling-pin, a loeking-jaw hinged to said draft-bar and confining the locking-pin in the said fixed jaw, a C-spring having one end extending beyond the other and hinged to the draft-bar, and a link connecting the shorter end of the spring to the hinged jaw, as set forth and shown.

8. The combination with the thill-iron and coupling-pin affixed thereto, the draft-bar formed with a hook-shaped jaw for receiving said coupling-pin, a locking-jaw hinged to said draft-bar and confining the coupling-pin in said hook-shaped jaw, an eye attached transversely to the draft-bar, a C -spring hinged at one end to said eye, and a link 0011- necting the opposite end of said spring to the hinged jaw, substantially as set forth and shown.

0. In a thill-coupling having a fixed jaw and a movable jaw receiving the couplingpin between them, the combination of a C- spring pivotally connected at one of its ends to one of the parts to be coupled and a link connecting the free end of the spring to the movable jaw, the swinging of the spring on its pivot in one direction forcing the movable jaw into its closed position and locking the Ice spring, and in swinging the spring in the opposite direction throwing the said jaw into its open position, as set forth.

10. In a thill-coupling having a fixed jaw and a movable jaw receiving the couplingpin between them, the combination of a spring having its ends pointing approximately in the same direction and one end pivotally connected to one of the parts to be coupled, and the opposite end coupled to the movable jaw, the swinging of the spring on its pivot into a reversed position causing the free end thereof to cross the pivoted end and force the jaw to its closed position and retain the spring in its reversed position.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto signed our names this 3d day of August, 1897.

HARVEY A. MOYER. L. s.] CHARLES J. GRAF. L. s.] WVitnesses:

H. B. SMITH, M. A. LEYDEN. 

